Vielleicht
by dart53
Summary: Just because you've read a man's file does not mean you know the man.
1. Chapter 1

**Vielleicht **

The underground sent word that there was going to be a large gathering of German officers at a small base near the coast. The report didn't say why the gathering had been called, but they did send a partial list of the men who were expected to show up. A number of the officers attending were of high enough rank to be considered local 'movers and shakers' by command so Garrison's group was being sent over to crash the party.

The job was simple enough, and it was right up their alley. All they had to do was get in, rub elbows with the elite, and then get out again and bring back all the gossip. Once they got back the experts would winnow out the most promising leads and further missions would be arranged to follow them up.

As a rule, for a straight intelligence gathering job, they'd go over, pick up the most imposing uniforms they could find, and waltz in and demand access to the information they needed. If Actor and Garrison couldn't bluff the Germans out of what they wanted Casino was more than capable of breaking in later and taking it away from them. This trip was going to be a little different since it was going to depend more on hearsay than documentation but they had something up their sleeve that was going to make the job a little easier. They'd be going in with uniforms and papers this time because a rather obscure German general had just defected to the Allies.

General Geomar Werner Konig was still over on the continent. He was taking a 'rest cure' near the French border while his transportation to England could be arranged. He was perfect for them to use because he hadn't made much of a splash in military circles, or in life for that matter; depending more on nepotism than courage and skill to get ahead. The chances of someone at the party knowing him personally were considered to be extremely low. Intelligence already had a file covering the basics of his not-too-distinguished career and background and Actor already had that committed to memory.

Actor was looking forward to arriving at the gathering in a uniform that actually fit for a change. He was pleased with the rank too, even though he was disappointed by the lack of medals that would be adorning the front of his tunic. It seemed Konig had managed to avoid the type of action that resulted in medals of valor. The con man had gone to great lengths to convince the others, and himself, that the plain, impeccably tailored uniform was far more elegant without all the 'gaudy' ribbons and medals that might be embellishing all the other chests in the room.

The report they'd been given also contained a list of Konig's 'known associates', which included the name of the general's current aide de camp. The Warden would be going to the party as Major Franz Günter Fuchs.

Fuchs _had_ distinguished himself and had the medals to prove it. The medals proved something else too; they proved that Fuchs believed in the German cause and was willing to fight for it. That had turned out to be very unlucky for him. Major Fuchs had been with General Konig when he learned that he was to be given the 'honor' of a transfer to a combat assignment on the eastern front. Soon after that the opportunity to escape to the Allies presented itself and Fuchs hed been killed trying to convince the general not to avail himself of it.

While the group had more than they needed on Konig they had to piece together what they needed on Fuchs. Courtesy of those medals on his chest they knew where he'd served and which battles he'd been in. Courtesy of the ring on his finger they knew where he'd attended school. A little basic research before they left filled in enough details on those battles and that school that Garrison was certain he'd be able to field any questions that might come his way. He wasn't expecting too much attention. He was a mere major acting as an attendant to a general and, even though this particular general wasn't very important, he was depending on Actor's natural flair and physical presence to keep all the attention focused on him.

Fuchs, they found out, had been assigned to act as the General's adjutant while he recovered from injuries suffered in his latest battle. This worked to their advantage too as it would explain away any discernible difficulty the Warden might have in moving around since his own most recent injury. It would also explain why the general's aid was more highly decorated than the general himself….

While Actor and the Warden were inside enjoying the party Casino and Goniff, with Chief as their back up, were going to break into their host's office and private quarters to see if they could find anything else worth lifting. This was Garrison's idea; he always had to come back from these trips with a little something extra.

ggg

"So how's this gonna work anyway?" Chief asked as they went over the material in the Warden's office.

"Drinks, dinner, brandy after… People talk, Chief," Garrison shrugged as he replied, "Even German officers. All we have to do is stand around and listen."

They'd had another report from the underground. A caterer had been engaged for the evening and the man was one of their contacts. From the food and supplies he had been ordered to provide it was obvious this was going to be a purely social gathering, not a strategy planning session as they had originally hoped. Still, headquarters was interested in the officers who would be at the party, and the civilians who were willing to associate with them.

"How come you'r so sure you can get invited to this shindig?" Casino sat opposite Garrison, his feet propped up on the Lieutenant's desk.

Actor answered from his place on the sofa that sat near the French doors that allowed access out on to the back terrace. "Konig attained his rank before the general who is hosting this gathering and so outranks him. Superior officers are never left off the guest lists for these social events. To do so would be a serious insult and it could affect the man's standing in society and his ability to advance in the military."

"Even for this guy Konig?" The group's scout frowned as he sent his question across the room. "I thought you said he was a nobody."

"Even for Konig, Chief." Actor answered from personal experience. His family had been bound by such societal guidelines until his father had lost his fortune and position. "The rules of etiquette are very strict in the circles in which these officers move. General Konig would expect to be received by the base commander wherever he chooses to stop along the way to his next assignment. And, not knowing who Konig might be aligned with, the base commander would most certainly receive him."

"So while you blokes are enjoying the bubbly and fish eggs we nip in the back and do a little nosin' around?"

"That's the idea." The Warden agreed.

Casino turned on his cohort. "Keep you'r mind on what we're doin' in there this time, you dope. I ain't comin' back for you 'cause you take a shine to some cigarette box 'r other."

"Blimey! You didn't come back for me the last time!" the groups' second story man protested before he adopted a superior air. "'Sides I can't help it if I got good taste."

"Good taste? You?!" Casino snorted a laugh and shot his cockney teammate a disbelieving stare before he turned his attention back to the Lieutenant and got back to business. "When do you want us to hit the place?"

The Warden considered that for a moment. "People tend to wander during cocktail hour, better wait until the crowd's been seated for dinner for a while."

"We liftin' the stuff or just gettin' pictures of it?" Chief asked.

"Take it." Garrison decided. "Make it look like a burglary."

"Jeeze, Warden, the way you been makin' us work lately," Casino grinned around at the others. "We may not be able to pull that off."

"I'm sure it will come back to you Casino. Just toss the place." He answered Goniff's question before he had a chance to ask it. "Take enough to make it look good, but small stuff. Can't have you guys getting caught lowering a painting out a bedroom window or hauling an armload of furs across the parking lot." The Lieutenant turned his wrist up and checked his watch. "We've got three hours before we have to be out at the airfield. Get your gear together and then get some rest. I'll call you when it's time."

ggg

He hadn't had a chance to confer with Actor yet, but so far Garrison considered their part of this mission to be a bust. They'd arrived on the local general's doorstep and been quickly informed of, and invited to, the social soiree before being given a tour of the base the general was in charge of. The tour was given by the general's tight lipped assistant not the general himself as the German officer remembered a very important call he had to make and excused himself. After a quick cup of coffee with the general's wife, the general was still unavailable, they'd returned to their accommodations in town to freshen up for the evening festivities. Garrison made a quick sketch of the grounds and the house and went over the layout with the others while Actor got ready.

At precisely six o'clock they presented themselves to the hostess collected their cocktails and started making small talk with the assembled guests. At seven a silver bell rang and they were ushered in to dinner. Their hostess had made adjustments to her seating plan and deftly used one of the unexpected guests as a tablemate for two matrons with inattentive escorts. These ladies monopolized Garrison during dinner; eliminating any chance he might have had to lean anything useful from the other men seated at the table. As the meal came to a close he found his hopes of the gentlemanly camaraderie of the after-dinner brandy and cigars accompanied by the discussion of 'important' topics of the day dashed when the hostess announced they would remove themselves to the music room for a recital to be given by herself and a few of the guests. By that point in the evening the only things he'd learned were that the weather had been unseasonably cool, that Frau Shulz had a touch of gout and was in the middle of a feud with her daughter-in-law which she recounted in excruciating detail, and that Fraulein Weir's favorite meal was sauerbraten and spaetzle served with pickled red and green cabbage; she shared the recipes with him, right down to exactly how to measure the different spices,…and went over it twice just to be sure he'd understood her,... and that she kept cats. At the end of the meal Garrison pulled back the chairs and helped the ladies to their feet and then extricated himself by telling them that, unfortunately, he had his duties to General Konig to attend to.

Actor, seated at another table, had been entertaining a younger set of women during dinner, much to the displeasure of their husbands and companions. Garrison stood just off his right shoulder as he waited to collect him while the elegant con man took leave of the ladies and their escorts hustled them away from him. The two men waited until most of the guests left the room before following along in their wake.

"You get anything interesting?" Garrison asked as they found seats in the back of the music room.

"Oh, a telephone number or two... But I don't believe I will be able to take advantage of them on this trip." Actor turned towards his commander. "You?"

Garrison gave a snort and lowered his voice as the host stepped to the head of the room and called for their attention. "Sure, if you're interested in making sauerbraten."

ggg

Out of the corner of his eye the con man caught Garrison shift in his seat again. "How is your back holding up?" Actor asked quietly.

"It's fine." Garrison answered but a moment later he shifted his position again with an irritated sigh. "Inactivity drives me crazy."

Actor smiled in sympathy. The injuries the Warden suffered on the last mission were healing nicely but he knew Garrison was in the stage of his recovery where the muscles in his back cramped if he was still for too long,… They'd spent about an hour standing in a large parlor having drinks and making small talk when they first arrived. Dinner had been a rather leisurely ninety minutes and they'd been suffering through this little concert for forty-five minutes now. The Italian cleared his throat and then brought his hand up to cover a dramatic cough. "Fuchs, water, if you please."

"Yes, sir!" Garrison rose from the chair and stretched surreptitiously. They were sitting at the back of the room and his withdrawal should go unnoticed. He was grateful for his second's quick thinking; not only would he get a chance to loosen up but a quick look out the window to check on their car would tell him if the other three men had finished their part of the mission while he and Actor had been stuck in this torture chamber. But before he managed to reach the door their host was on his feet calling for a short intermission.

There was a scraping of chairs and a rustle of fabric as the assembled guests took advantage of the break. Garrison held the door as first the ladies, in groups of twos and threes, excused themselves to the powder room and then the higher-ranking officers filed out to visit the bar that had been set up in the next room.

Craig waited for Actor to pass then fell in behind him as they made their way to the table that held the liquor. At a murmured request the general was handed a fine cut-crystal glass filled with a generous measure of cognac, his aide made due with a simple flute of Riesling. The men split up and made the best of their opportunity to work the crowd again.

The group that made up the party included German officers, French politicians, businessmen and industrialists, and their wives. General Konig had been presented to the military men at the beginning of the evening, now they concentrated on the other guests. Actor and Garrison made it a point to introduce themselves to as many of the civilians as possible. Both men had excellent memories and the list of names they would bring back would be evaluated by intelligence before the names of these possible 'collaborateurs' were turned over to the local underground.

The ringing of a small silver bell signaled the end of their fifteen minute reprieve and the crowd shuffled back into the music room. Actor, as usual, was surrounded by a bevy of ladies and was delayed in returning to his seat as he gallantly kissed their proffered hands and returned them to their waiting escorts. Their host, finally mindful of his duty to a slightly superior officer, approached as they tried to settle into their back row seats. They had hoped to be allowed to remain inconspicuous in their chosen place which gave them the advantage of observing the other guests, and, the aristocratic Italian thought, allowed them to be as far removed from the source of the evenings 'entertainment' as possible, but it appeared their host had other plans.

"Now, General…. Ah… General…."

"Konig." Garrison supplied.

"Ah, yes, General Konig. Come, I have been remiss in my duties as your host, General. You must move up to the front of the gathering and sit with me…." He placed a solicitous hand under Actor's elbow and did his best to guide him to the front of the room.

"Thank you, general, you are most gracious, but Major Fuchs and I are quite comfortable where we are." Actor graced their host with an insincere smile as he turned, freeing himself from the man's hand. "The acoustics are far more pleasing here in the back of the room. Franz, see to the chair!" The con man adopted his most officious manner hoping to dissuade their host from further attention.

His tactic seemed to work. The other officer gave a curt nod and a stiff little bow and started back towards the front of the room. His pace faltered after a few steps though and he turned back. "Fuchs?" he said tentatively. "Franz Gunter Fuchs?"

Garrison's brows arched up slightly as he caught Actor's eye before bowing to their host. "Yes, Herr General, how may I be of service?"

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you!" The general reached out and took Garrison's hand in an enthusiastic grasp. "You were at university with my son Karl."

There was a very brief, uncomfortable moment of silence. "Karl? Ah,… yes…"

"Oh come now, Major," the general laughed. "Although I love my son very much he did absolutely nothing at university that would result in you remembering him. You on the other hand," the beaming officer landed a friendly blow on Garrison's left shoulder. "You impressed him a great deal. As a result I am quite familiar with all of your accomplishments."

"I am afraid your son may have embellished my 'accomplishments', somewhat." Garrison offered.

"That is the impression I had, at first. But, you see," their host leaned in and confided. "He backed his stories up with clippings from the school and local newspapers."

Garrison took a sip of his wine and gave the man a noncommittal smile. "Really…?"


	2. Chapter 2

If they'd set the job up differently Chief or Casino might have been lurking at the edge of the crowd somewhere keeping an eye on them…. Goniff might have been working the party as a waiter. After a subtle signal one of them could have arrived with an urgent message that would allow the two of them to leave the party on important business… or to attend to a uniform that had just had a drink spilled down the front of it. Unfortunately they were on their own. The others were somewhere in the house ransacking their host's safe.

Actor caught the Warden's eye briefly before he brought his hand up to his face. He took in a breath and let it catch in his throat, then leaned slightly forward and started to cough. Garrison turned to attend his general but was shouldered out of the way by an officer of higher rank. The cornflower blue of the intruder's collar tabs identified him as a doctor. Their host captured the Warden again and placed a firm hand at his back as he turned him away.

Actor strained to hear the conversation as the other two moved away from him.

"Major, you will do me the very great honor of ending this little musical gathering on a somewhat higher note than was originally planned…"

"Excuse me?!"

The con man started to choke in earnest at this but his Good Samaritan had experience and a glass of water at hand. Within a few moments he'd recovered and was reseated next to a solicitous new companion. Garrison and the general were up in front of the crowd and the general had already called for the people assembled in the room to retake their seats.

Over the murmur of the guests Actor couldn't hear the exchange between his commander and their host; he could only watch and imagine. The Warden was shaking his head, he had a depreciating smile on his face, but all he got for that was a friendly pat on the shoulder. He turned one hand up and, after brushing the silver wound badge on his tunic pocket, used the other to knead the muscles beneath the collar bone at the opposite shoulder and received a good natured laugh and another pat on the back. Then, from the look on the general's face, it appeared to Actor that Garrison had said something that elicited a little suspicion from their host. The Lieutenant caught it too and capitulated with a shrug and another shake of his head. He made a comment to the general, a question apparently as in response the man leaned in close and the Warden nodded to whatever he had to say. The Lieutenant gave a shrug again and a wan smile accompanied his next comment. Whatever his last remark to the general was it caused the man to laugh as he made his way back to his front row seat.

Garrison remained alone in front of the gathering which had been entertained by some of the membership exhibiting their various musical talents. Actor had no idea what was about to happen. He knew the Warden's background and, given his early upbringing, was fairly confident he had the musical training common to children of families at his grandfather's elevated level of society. But training didn't equal competence, and technical competence didn't equal talent. If he hadn't already known that the 'entertainment' they had been subjected to so recently would have convinced him.

Actor considered the quality of the performances; so far this evening they had been subjected to a screeching rendition of one of Wagner arias from Gotterdammerung as sung by their host's wife. Her interpretation was so painful it was difficult to determine exactly which piece she had chosen. A violin solo came next; the selection was attributed to Mozart by the performer and was equally unidentifiable. A duet presented by a colonel and his wife followed; their voices were passable individually but totally mismatched for their dual effort. The pair was followed by an aging Fraulein who produce a flute and regaled them with a perfectly forgettable selection of music. An encore by their hostess was so excruciating that it caused the cultured con man to check the audience for signs of bleeding from the ears…. Actor decided that anything the Warden managed to do in front of these people would quite probably be hailed as the highlight of the evening.

The gathering settled back into their seats and gradually the level of noise in the room faded away and was replaced with an air of expectation. Garrison remained where he was in front of them until a discrete cough from the host brought him out of his reverie. He caught his second's eye again and Actor could just make out the slight rise and fall of a shoulder before the Warden bowed stiffly to the crowd, introduced himself to them, and turned to settle himself at the piano. He remained seated for a moment before turning to the gathering and explaining that it had been a very long time since he last had any type of relationship with the instrument he was about to play and he apologized in advance for any discomfort they might be forced to endure because of that. There was a smattering of laughter and a little encouraging applause.

Garrison sat on the stool, back straight, eyes directed forward, hands held over the keys, his right foot poised over the pedals, his left foot barely moving as it tapped out the time. The first chords were a bit tentative. The first error came in the third bar and caused a brief hesitation in the music. The next error followed quickly on its heels and resulted in a halt to the performance. Garrison turned to the assembled guests "Pardon me. If you will allow me a moment…." He returned his attention to the piano and ran the scales revealing, to Actor's educated hearing, several keys that were slightly out of tune. The scales were run again with the same discordant results. Garrison worked the keyboard from the lower register up into the higher notes one more time and then began his piece again.

There was no doubt that music fell much easier on his frayed nerves but Actor thought he caught several places where the Lieutenant had made subtle shifts on the keys to achieve a more harmonious result. The Italian sat forward, attentive and intrigued. To improvise so seamlessly, he knew, took a level of skill that impressed the con man. However, as he listened he couldn't help but be disappointed in the mechanical rendering of the music. There was something missing. The music lacked emotion, Actor realized; it lacked what Casino would call 'soul'.

The Warden's session was going to end the evening on a much better note as their host claimed when he requested, no, ordered, his participation. The audience responded enthusiastically at the end of the Lieutenant's modest recital, even calling out for an encore. The cry for 'more' was politely but firmly declined by the artist.

Actor waited as Garrison made his way through the crowd towards him. His progress was hampered by many who wanted to congratulate him. The most enthusiastic well-wishers Actor noticed with amusement, and a slight twinge of jealousy, were the women. The con man also noticed the effect the ladies attention was having on their male escorts. He smiled and moved forward to intercept his aide before the younger man found himself challenged to a duel.

g

"Franz! Why have I never heard you play before this?" Actor turned his broad back on the little crowd of women that had pursued Garrison, effectively turning their conversation into a private one.

"Herr General these times are far too serious for such frivolous pursuits." The Warden responded as he turned to watch their hosts lead the other guests out into the other room for a final drink.

"You were quite good."

Garrison just raised an eyebrow as he looked along his shoulder at the con man.

"Granted," Actor conceded with a slight bow and a smile as he dropped his voice. "In comparison to this assemblage of performers Casino and Goniff's rendition of Chopsticks for Four Fingers would be considered a masterpiece."

The Warden just managed to stifle a laugh. "Thank you for the complement, sir."

He considered the younger man a moment as the crowd continued to dissipate. Actor had seen the Warden's dossier, he'd even been given a chance to view the larger, more complete file the Army had on him, but that didn't mean all of his questions about the man who commanded them had been answered. He found their commander especially reticent about revealing any details of his early life. "You've studied?"

Garrison gave a curt nod

"How old were you when you first started your lessons?"

"Seven."

"That was Bach, wasn't it?" Actor asked as a pair of woman tried to make an approach. "A selection from…."

"Wohltemperiertes Klavier." Garrison turned and accepted the ladies fawning praise with a slightly uncomfortable smile before sending them on their way with a bow. He and Actor fell in behind them and made their own way out into the other room.

"As I recall Bach wrote a number of those…" Actor continued conversationally.

"Yes. Forty-eight to be exact." The Warden answered.

"How many recitals did you give?"

"Forty-eight," Garrison dead-panned. "...to be exact. One every month; starting at the age of eight."

"To have remembered the pieces so precisely you must have enjoyed playing them very much", the con man ventured.

"Not really…." There was joy in the music at first but, as with everything else, his grandfather had regimented every bit of pleasure out of it. To him music was merely applied mathematics. Garrison remembered him setting the metronome and him slapping his riding crop into his palm as he stood behind him while he practiced. He remember the feel of the handle of that crop decending on his shoulder whenever he missed a beat too...

The performance had been exact…perfectly executed, but mechanical, the music lacking any depth or feeling. Actor could imagine the reason. "Then I assume it was your grandfather who preferred Bach." The Italian con artist received another sidelong glance as his answer. "Your grandfather no longer controls you, why didn't you play a piece that you gave you pleasure?"

Garrison continued to observe the group milling around in front of them for a moment before he leaned a little closer and spoke out of the corner of his mouth. "I didn't think they would appreciate Gershwin or Copland."

Actor stepped back slightly and endeavored to control his features and stifle the laugh that threatened his composure. After a moment he replied, "_I _would have appreciated Gershwin or Copland." The Italian con artist watched a bevy of enthusiastic women spearheaded by their hostess make their way towards them. "Maybe you will give me the opportunity to hear you play again at some future time," he smiled at the slightly panicked look on the Warden's face as he caught site of the group bearing down on him. Actor bowed gallantly to the ladies and stepped away to the bar leaving the Lieutenant to be engulfed by his admirers.

ggg

Actor was the one to make his way over to the window to check on the occupants of their car; Garrison was hemmed in by too many female fans to do the job. He leaned back against the wall near the window and enjoyed another cognac and let the attention embarrass his commander for nearly twenty minutes before finally rescuing him with a sharp command.

"Fuchs! We are leaving." The con man waited impatiently as his assistant retrieved their coats and caps. He took leave of their host and agreed to the man's obligatory offer of future hospitality with a noncommittal grunt. When their hostess presented her hand however, Actor took rather longer than strictly necessary in kissing it. He followed that with a lingering leaving taking, expressing his admiration for her and his ardent hopes for another encounter with her in more 'suitable surroundings', even suggesting that he would enjoy hearing her sing again if only she could be accompanied by is assistant. The attention caused her husband to turn a rather alarming shade of purple as she fluttered her eyelashes and blushed. Garrison hustled the con man out the front door before the German general had time to recover from his shock and go looking for his pistol.

g

They stopped on the steps while Garrison provided a light for Actor's cigarette and then helped him on with his coat. "What did you think you were doing in there?!"

Actor blew a stream of smoke over the Warden's left shoulder. "The man was an ass. He deserved it."

Garrison stepped down next to the car as it pulled to a stop in front of them and opened the door for General Konig. "Tell me hers isn't one of the numbers you took tonight," he pleaded as he took his seat next to the con man.

Actor took another long drag from the cigarette and gave a non-committal shrug.

Craig rolled his eyes and wondered how he'd explainwhy he was refusing an assignment in this particular area to his superiors if, no, when, it came up in the future…. He turned his attention on the group's scout as they pulled away from the house. "Everything go alright?"

"Yeah." Chief stopped the car at the end of the drive long enough for the guards to take a look at the two men sitting behind him and give their salutes before he pulled out onto the road. "Good thing this tank has a big trunk."

g

Forty minutes later he was thinking the same thing. Casino and Goniff had arrived at the party in the trunk of the large car and they left the same way only this time they had a rather impressive sack of 'loot' with them. The plans had been to stop when they were out of sight of the house and have the two come up into the car but security on the road didn't allow for that. Every time they thought they were in the clear and started to pull over another military vehicle passed them on the road or they'd turn a corner and find themselves facing a checkpoint.

When Chief finally pulled over to let them out there was a further delay. The glow behind them on the road announced the approach of another vehicle; the 'vehicle' turned out to be a convoy. Seeing the flags affix to the front bumpers of the car sitting on the verge the officer in charge of the convoy stopped to inquire if there was any help needed. General Konig acknowledged the man's offer with a cordial nod of his head but informed him that his driver had already made the required repairs. The general then insisted that the convoy be allowed to pass in deference to the greater need of the Reich while he gallantly waited his turn. Garrison made note of the number of vehicles, estimated the troops they were carrying and committed the type and number of armored vehicles and tanks being ferried by the large flatbed trucks to memory as the convoy passed. As far as he was concerned he and Actor hadn't learned anything useful during their evening with the general and his guests and unless Casino and the others had come up with something from his safe the Lieutenant thought this might just be the only bit of intelligence they'd be returning home with.

Twenty minutes later Chief was finally able to climb out again and go to the back of the car to release the last two members of the team from their prison.

ggg

"Jeeze! You took your own sweet time lettin' us out a there, Junior." Casino grumbled as he stretched and then followed Chief along the flank of the large car.

"Could a let you out while that Kraut convoy was rollin' past, Pappy." Chief shot back over his shoulder before he slid in behind the wheel and fired up the engine. Goniff quickly took the front seat and luxuriated in a good stretch of his cramped muscles; Casino scowled in the window at the little pick pocket in an effort to convince him to give up his spot when that didn't work he hauled the back door open and perched unhappily on the jump seat in back as the Indian pulled out onto the road.

"You come up with anything?" Garrison asked.

"Yeah." Casino replied. "The guy keeps his girlie magazines in his safe."

"You swipe them?" Garrison inquired with a laugh.

Casino's face remained impassive. "Only the good ones."

"Anything else?"

"Maps. Lists. Something looks a little like a timetable." Casino removed each item from the sack he held and tossed it on the seat next to the Warden. "Cash." The cash he stuffed into his pocket.

Actor was shining the beam of a hand torch down on the seat and Garrison seemed to be absorbed in sorting through the maps and lists between them. At the mention of cash, without looking up, the Lieutenant stuck out his free hand and snapped his fingers. After a moment the wad of bills was retrieved from the safecracker's pocket and slapped into his waiting palm.

"You blokes find out anything?" Goniff asked from the front seat.

The Warden was too intent on going through the documents Casino had just handed over to respond; the two burglars turned to their second in command for the answer, Chief's questioning eyes were reflected in the rearview mirror.

"Yes." Actor played his teammates, waiting until all attention was on him. "They are all music lovers."

Chief snorted. "Couldn't tell that from what we heard, man."

"Yeah. What kinda cat were they killin' in there anyway?" the group's safecracker asked.

Actor laughed. "That was our hostess. She is under the impression she can sing."

"Them people ought a be shot for torturin' all you innocent blokes like that. That sort a thing's against that Genevieve Convention, isn't it?"

"Geneva Convention, Goniff." Actor corrected idly as he picked up one of the maps the Warden had just discarded onto the pile of documents that lay between them on the seat.

"Jeeze! I could hardly handle the safe for all the screechin'. And who ever had that violin…." Casino shuddered and shook his head in disgust. "My kid brother could do better than that when he was in second grade!"

"Well at least that last guy wadn't so bad." The group's scout observed as he turned off the road and headed toward their pick up point.

Garrison was between pages and caught the comment. He glanced up in time to see Actor start to open his mouth. "Don't," he said quietly.

The con man turned on his most charming smile. "But Warden I was merely going to…"

"Sagen Sie ein anderes Wort nicht," Garrison said pleasantly.

"Certainly there's no harm in..." Actor responded just as pleasantly.

The Warden cut him off. "Actor." The warning was subtle, but it was there.

"Es wird eine bessere Zeit vielleicht geben." Actor replied with a sly smile.

"Ist diese Erpressung?" Garrison asked his second.

Actor shrugged. "A rose by any other name…"

The con man was right. Blackmail, extortion; the name didn't matter it still meant Actor had something on him he could use,… something he'd rather not be ribbed about by the rest of the men.

"Was wollen Sie?" The Warden asked, though he was pretty sure what the Italian's demands would be.

"Ich habe Ihnen bereits erzählt." The Italian said before he started to formalize his demand. "Ich will Sie hören."

Garrison cut him off. "Vielleicht…. Ich werde darüber nachdenken."

The other three had been following the exchange; their attention shifting back and forth between the two men as they spoke much as people following a tennis match shifted their eyes back and forth between the opponents.

"Maybe what?" Casino demanded. "What'll you think about?"

"Nichts," Garrison said automatically, then corrected himself. "Nothing…." It took a split second for Casino's comment to sink in but the moment it did he rounded on him. "Great! _Now_ you start understanding German!?"

Actor laughed. "I have found that the quickest way to engage interest is to try and keep a secret…."

"Blimey…. You got a secret Warden?" The pick pocket squirmed around and leaned over the front seat of the car and dropped his voice to a dramatic stage whisper. "C'mon, what is it then?"

"Never mind Goniff!"


	3. Chapter 3

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The first day back was, as always, taken up with debriefing at headquarters. Everything the men had taken from the general's safe, everything they'd taken from the drawers and shelves of his office and the upstairs rooms of the home, was evaluated for its strategic value. The valuables were handed over to be turned into cash for the underground's use, even the gem studded silver broach Goniff 'forgot' he had in his pocket. Garrison and Actor made up their lists of the people they'd been introduced to and recounted everything they'd talked about with the other guests. The Warden wrote out the details of the convoy that passed them on the road and turned that over. The men were released to Sergeant Major Rawlins and returned to the mansion while the Warden stayed on an extra day to go over everything a second and third time in greater detail. Again, Garrison found he wasn't too impressed with what they'd brought back from the party but, matched up with something another team found out, or something that was sent over from their underground contacts…, well, you couldn't really tell what might turn out to be important.

In the middle of that long second day Garrison arranged for another nights bed space in the officer's quarters and called out to the house to talk to his NCO. He gave his permission for the men to be allowed off the grounds for a little relaxation in the village the that afternoon and the following day. He was certain that by morning the cons would being going off the grounds on their own anyway, if they hadn't already taken off, he was just saving the Sergeant Major and a truck load of guards the trouble of running them down. The debriefing would be over by the end of the day but Phillips had spotted him and, he told Rawlins, his presence had been 'requested' for another medical evaluation the following morning. Garrison said he expected to be back at the mansion by 1400. He told the Sergeant he wanted the men back by 1800 so they could go through their own private debriefing before it was time to hit the sack.

g

The men drifted back to the Doves after finding diversion around town. Their activities had depleted the cash in their pockets but the owner at the Doves was usually willing to run a tab whenever they were caught short.

Casino glared around the room noting the absence of their elegant Italian teammate. Actor had been with them at the movie house but demurred at their choice of eatery and gone off to find a place that fit his own more cultured tastes. Since he wasn't here the safecracker was sure he'd found something else to occupy his time after his meal. "Beautiful must have a stash of cash somewhere he's not willin' to share."

Chief, who hadn't bothered flirting with the waitress at the café where they'd eaten, had arrived at the pub before the others. He was balanced on the back legs of the chair he was sitting on, the heel of his right boot caught on the edge of the table where they were gathered. "You got that wrong, Pappy. He was here when I got back… Took off for the house 'bout ten minutes before you got here."

"You mean 'ee just went back on his own? Early?" Goniff asked. "Blimey! Was he sick 'r somethin'?"

"Jeeze! It was a con, you dumb Limey." Casino grouched over his IOU beer. "He was probably headin' out to meet up with one a them fancy dames he's got listed in that little black book a his and just put one over on Junior here to throw him off."

Chief considered the older con through half-closed eyes as he rocked back and forth in his chair. "Well, if he was pullin' a con Rawlins was in on it. He caught a ride back with him."

The table was quiet as they all mulled that over.

"He's gotta be pullin' somethin'." Casino insisted. "I say we go back and bust up whatever it is he's got workin'."

They were all out of cash, they'd done just about everything there was to do in the village over the last twenty-four hours so it didn't take much for all of them to fall in with the idea of returning to the mansion to ruin whatever it was that the con man had cooking.

g

The three men decided to walk back; calling out to the house for a car would only tip their Italian teammate off. The footpath from the village passed close by the side wall of the back garden. Chief led them across the woodland as carefully as if they'd been on a job over on the continent. They sat watching and timing the guards that made a regular patrol along the fence line before they slipped over the fence and made their way up the side of the building to the room they shared. A quick look in the window revealed it to be empty but that wasn't unusual; Actor, preferring the comforts of the large library downstairs, didn't spend much time in the upstairs room.

The men entered through the swinging bars and had a quick whispered conference before the second story man broke away from them. Goniff leaned against the door and opened it a crack to check the hall and then scurried quietly along the carpet to the bathroom the men shared expecting to find their sophisticated Italian teammate primping for his tryst or at least luxuriating there in a hot bath; something the others never gave him a chance to do. Finding the facilities deserted he made his way back to the other two men who were waiting silently for his return.

"No sign a anybody", the little Cockney reported in a whisper.

"Rawlins' jeep wasn't there." Casino complained quietly. "I still say Actor probably suckered him into takin' him clear in to London."

Chief just shook his head as he continued keeping vigil at the window. "One a the troop truck's gone too. Rawlins was takin' some of the short timers out on maneuvers this afternoon."

That brought the other two up short. "Blimey! How'd ya know that?"

There was a split second shift of the point man's gaze from the view outside the window to his Cockney teammate. "I listen", he told him before shifting his attention back to the scene on the other side of the glass.

Casino sent Goniff off again with a jerk of his chin. The cat burglar silently moved across to the armoire that stood near Actor's cot, after a quick rummage he was and back again. "'is fancy dress stuff is still here."

They all figured the con man had probably caught a ride back with Rawlins then called a 'friend' to arrange a little private entertainment. They expected to bust in on him as he got ready for the rendezvous. The ringleader chewed at his lower lip and silence fell on the little group as Casino's eyes narrowed while he considered their next move…. He motioned the other two men into a huddled.

"OK. I think…" Casino started off.

"Quiet! You hear that?" Chief asked before the safecracker came up with any more orders. He brought his hand up and silence descended for a moment.

"What'r you on about?" Goniff asked in a whisper.

"Listen!" Chief held his hand up again to forestall any further comments from his teammates.

"What? I don't hear anything." Casino complained.

The group's scout cocked his head for a moment before moving back over and opening the window. The other men fell silent again as they concentrated.

"Hey! Music." Goniff grinned at the other two.

"Yeah!" Casino grouched. "He didn't go to her, _she_ came to him…. And they're having themselves a little tête-à-tête over in the closed wing!"

"Actor's too smart to bring a dame in here." Chief ventured.

"Why not? Warden's not here." Casino held his hand out in front of the other two and bent the first finger down. "Rawlins ain't here. We're not here…" he considered the last finger and frowned, "…and he's got the run a the place. I say we go on over there and invite ourselves to the party."

The property had been turned over at the beginning of the war but the family that owned the place retained the east wing for their private use. All of the more personal items had been moved in there before the Army took possession. The military modified the building and one of the things they added was a wall on each level between the main part of the building and the other two wings. Locked doors protected the family quarters now. Of course locked doors were just a challenge to the 'specialists' housed at this particular facility.

The first trip into the east wing came two days after the men made their foray off the grounds to go visit the village pub after they returned from their initial mission for the government. The route they'd used took them up on the roof and the roof gave them access to all of the windows in the upper floor of the house. Since the convicts were only to be housed in the main part of the residence bars had not been affixed to the windows in the other two sections of the house.

Goniff looked on those unbarred windows as an open invitation. He slipped away from the others after the mid-day meal that day and went off to do a little exploring on his own. When he returned Casino was waiting. All it took for him to spill the beans was the safecracker gathering the front of his shirt in one hand and making a fist with the other. Before the two of them could go back over Garrison had gotten permission from the owners to use every bit of the house and property to condition and train his new team.

The day after Goniff's little trip the Warden set the men the task of breaking in over there, finding the safe, and pulling everything they found back to their quarters for his inspection. He told them he had a complete inventory of everything that was in the east wing and that every single item on that inventory was going to be checked before _and_ after the job.

Goniff had to make an emergency trip up over the roof and down in through a window to put back all the little bits and pieces he'd taken a fancy to.

After the first 'mission' they were in and out of there on a pretty regular basis. Once they had official access the things that were stored over there lost most of their allure. Oh, they admired the stuff and they'd make use of it if they got a chance. Like the radio and the phonograph and all the records that were stored over there. Actor beat Casino at billiards and, since the family had both tables and all the supplies in the game room, Casino turned right around a beat Actor at pool. There was even a piano in the music room that Goniff and Casino had played around with.

Casino leaned in and invited his confederates to join him with a crook of that last finger. "Alright, this is how we're gonna do it…"

ggg

"Hold up a minute." Chief put his hand out and stopped Goniff from opening the door to the family's music room. To his teammates questioning glance he shrugged and responded quietly. "I kinda like that one."

All of them knew as soon as they intruded on Actor he'd pull the plug on his private radio concert and that it would take some tall talking, arguing since Casino was involved, to get the music going again so waiting until the end of the piece before breaking in on him just made sense. They moved back from the door and ended up across the hall leaning shoulder to shoulder against the wall as they listened.

Casino closed his eyes and relaxed into a slouch. "That's Rhapsody 'n Blue", he said.

Goniff's head came off the wall and he rolled onto his shoulder to get a better look at this unexpectedly knowledgeable friend.

"Must be some kind a amateur recital or something 'cause the guy's not playin it as fancy or as fast…" Casino hummed along for a moment before he continued. "Man, some a those pros can really get goin'. 'Specially this part…" When he opened his eyes he was looking right into Goniff's open-mouthed grinning face. "What 'r you lookin' at?!"

"How come you'r a big expert then?" The little pick pocket pushed off the wall and took a couple of steps away from the volatile safecracker so it would be easier to run if he had to. "You some kinda closet toff 'r something, mate?"

Chief reached out and put his hand over the finger Casino was just about to shove in Goniff's face. "Quiet!" he said in a whisper. "You go shoutin' at each other you'll give us away."

The other two subsided back against the wall in an uneasy truce and they listened through to the end of the piece. When the music ended Casino, still needing to burn off his embarrassed irritation with Goniff, strode across the hall and pulled the door open with a flourish expecting to walk in on Actor and a female guest but he stopped dead on the threshold causing the other two to stumble into his back.

"Well, well, well. Wait'll I tell Ma!"

There was a discordant sound as Garrison's curled fingers hit the keys. "Just great!" he mumbled to himself as he shot an 'I told you so' look at the con man sitting in the sun streaming in the windows near the piano. The Warden took a deep breath before turning to face the rest of his team. There was absolutely no reason in the world to ask them how they'd gotten in here even though he'd locked the doors behind them when he and Actor came through. "Too late Casino," he said, making an effort to keep his voice level. "She already knows."

"Blimey, our very own piano player!" Goniff jabbed Chief in the ribs with his elbow and grinned as he moved into the room. "Hey Warden, can you play…"...

"No, Goniff. I can't"

"Well, hey," Casino leaned a hip against the piano. "What about..."

"Can it Casino." Garrison shot a glance skyward before turning a calculating look on his second-in-command. "You know, the deal was you could have this private little concert of yours as long as they didn't find out."

"No, you are incorrect; the arrangement was that I would not tell them. _I_ have not told them..."

Garrison shoved the stool back and started to rise. "Still seems like the bargain is off."

"Ah, but Warden, you are an honorable man and you would never go back on an agreement." Actor watched as the frown played across the Warden's face and he slowly took his seat again. The Italian lifted his glass in a toast to his commander. "The Gymnopedie now I think", he smiled and took a sip of his wine. "If you please."

The Lieutenant watched as his team of 'uncouth, uneducated hoodlums' made themselves comfortable around the room. He'd enjoyed the afternoon, he really hadn't minded playing the pieces Actor had requested... Still the man had asked him at that party why he didn't play the music he preferred... Garrison laughed. "I'm not that honorable," he declared as he launched into Glenn Miller's swing version of American Patrol...

* * *

AN

Almost anything can set off a story... This one was prompted by 'Chopsticks for Four Fingers'. Hope you enjoyed it. dale


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